KNOWLEDGE. 



[Jaxuaky 1, 1895. 



more or less uniformly coloured ; although the zebras are 

 notable instances of transversely striped animals, while 

 the giraft'e is an equally marked example of the blotched 

 type of coloration. Among the even-toed (Artioilacti/lf) 

 subdivision of this order it may be also noticed that while in 

 the more specialized forms, such as wild cattle and sheep, 

 the coloration is more or less uniform, many of the 

 antelopes show white transverse stripes on a dark ground. 

 Dark transverse stripes are, however, known only in the 

 case of the little zebra-antelope {CcplialDphus dorim) of 

 Western Africa, and the gnus ; while, although a lateral 

 dark Hank-stripe is present in some antelopes, and in the 

 gazelles, none of these animals have the whole body 

 marked by longitudinal dark stripes. In the case of the 

 deer, it may be observed that a few species, like the fallow 

 deer and the Indian spotted deer, are marked with 

 longitudinal rows of white spots at all ages ; while if the 

 former be examined, it will be found that in many instances 

 the young are similarly marked, whereas the adults are 

 uniformly coloured. A similar state of things occurs 

 among wild pigs and also in the tapirs, from which we 

 are naturally led to infer that in this group of mammals, 

 at least, a spotted or striped type of coloration is the 

 original or generalized condition, while a uniformly 

 coloured coat is an acquired or specialized feature. And 

 we shall find that this will hold good for other groups. 



Turning to the carnivorous mammals, we shall find that 

 in many families, more especially the cats, hyenas, and 

 civets, stripes and spots are far more generally present 

 than a uniform coloration; although some groups, such as 

 the bears, form a marked exception to this rule, the 

 majority of the species being uniformly coloured, while 

 none are striped or spotted. In some species of the weasel 

 faniily — notably the badgers — it may be also noticed that 

 while the sides of the head are marked by longitudinal dark 

 and light stripes, the remainder of the body is uniformly 

 coloured. And it may be mentioned here that 

 animals, such as 



many 



type of coloration recalling the " speculum " on the wing 

 of a duck. 



We might extend our survey to other orders of mammals, 

 but sufficient has been said to indicate the variability of 

 the prevalent type of coloration in different groups, and 

 we may accordingly now proceed to give a list of some 

 more or less well-known mammals arranged according to 

 the plan of their markings. 



1. Mammals ivith dark hmijitudinal stripes. — Striped 

 mangooses [Golidictis) of Madagascar, in one of which the 

 stripes are very narrow and close, while in the other they 

 are broader and more widely separated ; these animals 

 belonging to the civet family. The three-striped palm- 

 civet (Antogale). The genet, the markings here tending 

 to break up into spots. The three-striped opossum. The 

 palm-squirrel, and chipmunks (Tamias). 



In all the above the stripes are dark upon a greyish 

 ground, but in the following they take the form of black 

 and white stripes, the white area being generally the larger ; 

 and it may be noted that all belong to the weasel family. 

 They include the skunks, the South African weasel 

 {Pcniliiyale), and the Cape polecat f Ltiony.v) ; while similar 

 markings obtain on the head of the badger. 



2. Mammals irith dark spots. — These may be divided into 

 several sub-groups, according to the form of the spots. 

 Those in which the spots are small, more or less nearly 

 circular, and solid, include the hunting-leopard, the tiger- 

 cat, the lynx, the spotted hyfena, the large-spotted civet 

 (Virerra mcgaspila) the African linsang (Poiana), and the 

 young of the puma. The blotched genet {(renetta tii/rina) 

 forms a transition to blotches. While some of the civets are 

 more or less distinctly spotted, in others the coloration is 

 intermediate between spots and longitudinal stripes. 



As species in which the spots are enlarged to form more 

 or less quadrangular blotches, we may cite the giraffe and 

 those Oriental civets known as linsangs. 



By a splitting-up of a simple spot into a more or less 



don keys and dun- 

 coloured horses, 

 retain a longi- 

 tudinal dark 

 stripe down the 

 back, frequently 

 accompanied by 

 dai'k transverse 

 barsonthelimbs, 

 while a uniform 

 coloration pre- 

 vails elsewhere, 

 In the gnawing 

 mammals, or ro- 

 dents, although 

 many species are 

 uniformly co- 

 loured, stripes 

 and spots are 

 prevalent ; and a 

 survey of the col- 

 lection of these 



animals in a good museum will show that, whether the pat- 

 tern take the form of stripes or of spots, the arrangement is 

 invariably longitudinal and never transverse ; and it may 

 be observed that when spots are present, these are invariably 

 light-coloured on a darker ground. Although in many 

 cases the longitudinal stripes occupy the whole or a con- 

 siderable portion of the upper surface, in some of the 

 squirrels they are reduced to a dark and light stripe, or 

 even a single light stripe on each flank, this remarkable 





^y 



Flo. 1.— Tlu- Australian Tlnlac 



(From AVatorhouse.) 



complete ring of smaller ones, we have the rosetto-like type 

 of ornamentation, as exemplified in the leopard, the snow- 

 leopard, and the jaguar. In the two former the ring encloses 

 a uniform light area ; but in the latter the central area 

 generally carries one or more dark spots. A further develop- 

 nient of the ring leads to the so-called clouded type, as 

 displayed by the Oriental clouded leopard, the marbled cat, 

 and the American ocelot. Here the ring becomes enlarged 

 into a large squarish or oblong area, enclosing an area of 



